Influence of nonwoven fabric pore sizes on water vapor resistance

The influence of nonwoven fabric pores using the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller method, dry sieving and capillary flow porometry on water vapor resistance were investigated. For a better understanding of the nonwoven thickness impact on pores and water vapor resistance (and therefore the influence on comfort), two types of samples were investigated: nonwoven fabric bonded with the needling and nonwoven fabric additionally bonded with the calendering process. Water vapor resistance increased with increasing nonwoven fabric thickness, whereby it ranged from 11.33 to 15.62 m2 Pa W−1 for the non-calendered samples and it ranged from 5.19 to 9.85 m2 Pa W−1 for the calendered ones. Water vapor resistance showed a good linear correlation with the specific surface area, pore volume, apparent opening size and mean flow pore diameter.